Book keeping for freelancers – the agony and the ecstasy

Book keeping for freelancers is the necessary pain that goes with the freedom and creativity of the freelance world. It’s the part of the job I consider ‘work’. The bit I really don’t like.

That’s not strictly true. Not the book keeping itself, it’s the last minute getting it all to my accountant. The oh my god, where is that receipt, have I remembered everything, the impending deadline that has exactly the same feeling of dread, as approaching exam dates when I was a kid at school.

When it’s over, when it’s delivered, when I’ve got over the guilt of delivering my messy pile of invoices, receipts and accountancy guesses, to my accountant, when he is at his busiest, and really it should have been in months ago, the release, the sense of freedom, the joy is just sensational. Almost like all the pain is worthwhile for that joyful feeling.

But not next year. Oh no. Next year, it’ll be done much earlier, in fact I will begin now. Well that would be silly. Tomorrow though. I’ll get organised tomorrow. Yeah, I’ll do it tomorrow.

I’m a much better designer and illustrator than would be accountant. Fortunately.